Eat Food You Can Count On At Nathalie's

Eat Food You Can Count On At Nathalie's

At Nathalie’s in the Central West End, nearly all of the food on your plate is taken directly from the restaurant’s partner farm, Overlook Farm. The farm produces ingredients in their five greenhouses, 26 hoop houses and 327 acres of farm land. And if that wasn’t enough, Overlook’s farmers raise the meat to ensure that you’re eating the very best, from grass-fed Angus beef to farm-raised tilapia.

Photo by Jenn Silverberg

Owner Nathalie Pettus is passionate about health and well-being and strives to ensure Nathalie’s and Overlook Farm are making the world a better place to eat, one organically sourced dish at a time. For Pettus, that includes making sure the growing process for the food isn’t just sustainable but continues evolving.

“I do not like to use the word “sustainable” when describing our approach to the land and farming, as I want the land to be improved and rejuvenated with the organic practices that we follow,” Pettus states. Her passion on the subject is seen through her body language as she discussed it with me: She intently leans forward while explaining her dedication to the restaurant’s high standards..

As a strong advocate for the environment, Pettus explains that she doesn’t source from the Gulf or the Pacific after oil spills and nuclear accidents have impacted the ecosystem. “What’s so important to me is that we’re careful with what we raise to ensure that it is the healthiest and safest that it can possibly be,” she adds. “If I wouldn’t eat it, why should you?”

Unlike many restaurant owners, Pettus is involved in every aspect of the business from the look and feel of Nathalie’s—intimate and romantic—to the food that will be planted at the farm and onto your plate. The seasonal dishes can change depending on how much of an ingredient was grown at Overlook Farm, and once that ingredient is gone, it’s gone. “You have to deal with what you have. It’s a challenge of creativity to use the ingredients you have and it’s something our chefs love,” Pettus explains.

It’s easy to see why the chefs love the restaurant and Pettus. Her warm demeanor lights up a room, which is carried throughout the restaurant. The look and feel of Nathalie’s seems as if you’re stepping straight into her home with her grandfather’s paintings and photographs of her children lining the walls. It’s a place you’ll want to come back to over and over again, not only because you know where the food is coming from, but because the atmosphere is truly one-of-a-kind.

Pick up your copy of the Good Vibes issue at Nathalie’s today.

This post has been brought to you in part by the mentioned business. All photos have been provided by our partners unless otherwise noted. Thank you for supporting the companies that keep ALIVE growing.